Convertible Lanyard Case for Personal Electronics

ABSTRACT

A convertible lanyard case tor a personal electronics item includes a top end, a bottom end, a front side, and a back side. The front side is configured for viewing and accessing the personal electronics item. The back side includes a tab assembly adjacent the bottom end, having a movable tab with a hole for engaging a lanyard and clip. The tab slides between a first, position wherein the hole is obscured and a second position wherein the tab extends from the case for attaching a lanyard to the hole. To preserve the tab in position stops with a biasing mechanisms seat in notches on the frame.

BACKGROUND

Personal electronics such as cell phones, mini-tablet computers andsimilar handheld communication and computing apparatus are known in theart. These apparatus are generally expensive, multifunctionalelectronics, which are sensitive to temperature, fluid emersion, andimpact shock. Despite their fragile nature, such apparatus arefrequently manufactured with housings inadequate to protect them fromimpact shock occurring through normal, daily use. These events includedropping an apparatus, or inadvertently banging it against a surfacewhile held in a user's hand.

To protect these personal electronic and communication apparatus, manydifferent case designs have been developed to shield them againstimpact. The most effective cases surround the edges of an apparatus,while preserving access to its screen and controls such as volume andpower interfaces, and features such as an audio jack and camera. Whilecases in the art are usually sufficient for protecting against damageand malfunction from inadvertent impact damage, other problems inherentwith small electronics persist, such as the difficulty with retrievingan apparatus from a bag or other location filled with other items, andloss of an apparatus by inadvertently abandoning it in a location, orintentional loss through theft.

There is therefore a need for a case for personal electronics apparatusthat protects an apparatus from inadvertent impact. There is also a needfor a case that helps prevent an apparatus from getting lost, eithertemporarily among other possessions, or lost entirely throughabandonment or theft. There is also a need for a case that preserves theapparatus at hand, allowing a user to easily and quickly retrieve theapparatus when needed. There is also a need for a case which isconvertible, allowing a user to convert the apparatus from aconfiguration wherein it can be worn around the user's neck, to aconfiguration more similar to a traditional personal electronics case.

These and other needs are addressed by an invention, the objects anddetails of which are discussed in the following summary, description,and claims.

SUMMARY

A convertible lanyard case for a personal electronics item is disclosed.The case is defined by a top end, a bottom end, a front side, and a backside. Together, these ends and sides are configured to conform to thepersonal electronics item, generally surrounding it and acting as abuffer between an impacting surface and the item's manufactured housing.The front side is configured for viewing and accessing a screen of thepersonal electronics item, including an interactive touch screen. Theback side includes a tab assembly adjacent the bottom end.

The tab assembly includes a movable tab, which has a hole for engaging alanyard and clip. The tab is movable, in one embodiment a slidingmovement, between a first position wherein the hole is obscured by theback side with the tab held against the back side, and a second positionwherein the tab extends front the case thereby unblocking the hole in aposition proximal the bottom end.

In order to govern movement, the tab preferably travels in a frameconfining it to linear (i.e., back-and-forth) movement coaxial with thetop end and bottom end. To preserve the tab in the first position and inthe second position, the tab includes a stop with a biasing mechanismcausing the stop to seat in a notch on the frame. The stop may be amember that slides laterally in relation to the tab, and the biasingmechanism may be a spring configured to push the stop into the notch.Preferably the tab includes a finger grip to facilitate movement by auser.

To allow free linear movement, yet preserve the tab against the backside, the tab may include one or more rails corresponding to one or moreguides on the frame. The rails seat under the guides, thereby holdingthe tab against the back side. In one preferred embodiment, the caseincludes two parallel and linear rails on the tab for engaging twoparallel and linear guides on the frame.

To facilitate using the personal electronics device, the front side ofthe case preferably frames the screen, thereby allowing users access totouch screen functionality. In one alternative embodiment, the frontside may comprise a peripheral edge of the case, with the peripheraledge configured to retain the personal electronics item therein, andallowing the user access to the entire screen side of the personalelectronics device.

To confer an added measure of protection, the peripheral edge may bemade contiguous around the back side. In such an embodiment, the backside preferably includes a camera window or other portals forfunctionality incorporated into the hack side of the personalelectronics device. Typically the camera window will be disposedproximal to the top end to avoid contact with the user's finger.

To use the case, a user obtains a personal electronics device and thecase disclosed herein. A sliding tab mechanism on a back side and abottom end of the case is incorporated into the case. The user insertsthe personal electronic device into the case, thereby causing it to beheld securely therein. The user may then slide a tab of the tabmechanism toward the bottom end, causing a hole to be revealed on thetab overhanging the case, and enabling the user to attach a lanyard tothe case by clipping the lanyard to the hole and wearing the lanyard.

The case, when worn on the lanyard, preserves the personal electronicsdevice around the user's neck, preventing the user from dropping orlosing it. In the instance of a phone, when the user needs to use thephone, the user simply picks it up and places it against the user's ear,naturally inverting it by normal movement without the lanyard getting inthe way. When a call or other interaction is concluded, the user maysimply (gently) release the device, thereby allowing it to once againdangle from the lanyard.

Sometimes a more conventional case may be desired. In such an instance,the lanyard may be removed, and the case converted by sliding the tabtoward the top end, thereby bringing the tab entirely onto the backside, and obscuring the hole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a convertible lanyard case forhandheld personal electronics with an anchoring tab extended;

FIG. 2 illustrates the convertible lanyard case with the anchoring tabretracted;

FIG. 3 illustrates a frame portion of a tab mechanism of the convertiblelanyard case; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a tab portion of the tab mechanism of the convertiblelanyard case.

DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a convertible lanyard case 10 includes a top end12, a bottom end 14, a front side 16 and a back side 18. A tab assembly20 is located on the back side 18 near the bottom end 14. The tabassembly 20 includes a tab 22 and a frame 24. The tab 22 includes a hole26 for attaching a lanyard (not shown). It is contemplated that atypical looped lanyard, including a lanyard having a standard swivelhook clip may be used to engage the hole 26. The frame 24 is asubstantially u-shaped member bounding the tab 22, and confining it toslide only in a linear direction coaxially with the top end 12 and thebottom end 14.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the tab 22 includes a stop 28, in theillustrated embodiment, two opposing stops 28. Each stop 28 includes abiasing mechanism 30 that urges the stop 28 laterally with respect tothe direction of travel of the tab 22. The tab 22 also includes a fingergrip 34 for facilitating moving the tab 22 back and forth. The frame 24includes a notch 32, in the illustrated embodiment, four notches 32 foraccommodating the stops 28 and for holding the tab 22 in an extendedposition as shown, or in a retracted position as shown in FIG. 2. In theillustrated, extended position, the tab 22 extends beyond the case 10,exposing the hole 26 for lanyard attachment.

Referring to FIG. 2, the tab assembly 20 is shown in a retractedposition, with the stops 28 biasing the tab 22 in place. The stops 28are sealed in the notches 32 preferably in a manner allowing them to bedislodged under upward finger pressure on the finger grip 34. With thetab 22 in a retracted position, the tab 22 is entirely adjacent the backside 18, with the hole 26 fully occluded by the back side 18. In thisposition, the case 10 functions as a typical phone case with no lanyardattached. Preferably, the frame 24 is sized so that when the stops 28seat in the notches 32 of the retracted position, the tab 22 adjoins theentire frame 24, thereby preventing the tab 22 from moving past itsretracted position.

The frame 24 preferably terminates at a peripheral edge 36 for aestheticappearance, and more specifically at the peripheral edge near the bottomend 14 to avoid interfering with the user's finger movements nearcontrols and other functional features such as a camera window 38, whichmay result in the user inadvertently touching and dirtying the camerawindow 38.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the frame 24 and the tab 22 are shownindependently. In addition to the notches 32, the frame 14 includes alinear guide 40, in the illustrated embodiment two parallel linearguides 40, for retaining the tab 22. The tab 22 includes a linear rail42, in the illustrated embodiment two parallel linear rails 42, forengaging the guides 40. The rails 42 are preferably located below thestops 28, allowing the stops 28 to move laterally, in and out of thenotches 32 as the rails 42 travel in the guides.

The structure of the convertible lanyard case for personal electronicshaving been shown and described, its method of operation will now bediscussed.

To use the convertible lanyard case 10, a user inserts a personalelectronic item, such as a cell phone in the primary embodiment, intothe case 10 through the front side 16. In such a configuration, the case10 operates similar to typical phone cases. To convert the case 10, theuser slides the tab 22 on the back side 18 away from the top end 12,causing it to extend over the bottom end 14, and exposing the hole 26.When the user slides the tab 22, preferably using the finger grip 34,lateral pressure drives the stops 28 out of notches 32 on the frame 14.

When the tab 22 is fully extended and the hole 26 fully exposed, thestops 28 again arrive at notches 32 and click into place, anchoring thetab 22 in an extended position. The user may then clip a lanyardthrough, the hole 26, and wear the case 10 around the user's neck.Because the tab assembly 20 holds the case 10 upside down, using thephone is easily managed, as picking it up naturally involves invertingit. The user may talk on the phone, consult applications, take pictures,etc., as the user normally would without a lanyard attachment. When theuser is finished using the phone, it can be gently released and onceagain remain suspended around the user's neck. Should the user wish toremove the lanyard, the clip is easily removed from the hole 26, and thetab 22 slid back toward the top end 12 of the case 10.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the inventionis sufficient in detail to enable one skilled in the art to make and usethe invention. It is understood, however, that the detail of thepreferred embodiment presented is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention, in as much as equivalents thereof and other modificationswhich come within the scope of the invention as defined by the claimswill become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading thisspecification.

What is claimed is:
 1. A convertible lanyard case for a personalelectronics item, the convertible lanyard case comprising: a top end, abottom end, a front side and a back side, together configured to conformto the personal electronics item; the front side configured for viewingand accessing a screen of the personal electronics item; the back sidehaving a tab assembly adjacent the bottom end; wherein the tab assemblycomprises a tab having a hole, the tab movable between a first positionwherein the hole is obscured by the back side and a second positionwherein the tab extends from the convertible lanyard case, therebyunblocking the hole.
 2. The convertible lanyard case of claim 1 whereinthe tab travels in a frame, confining it to linear movement coaxial witha linear axis formed by the top end and the bottom end.
 3. Theconvertible lanyard case of claim 1 wherein the tab includes a stophaving a biasing mechanism that seats the stop in a notch on the frame.4. The convertible lanyard case of claim 3 wherein the tab includes afinger grip.
 5. The convertible lanyard case of claim 1 wherein the tabincludes a rail and the frame includes a guide, wherein the guide andthe rail hold the tab against the back side.
 6. The convertible lanyardcase of claim 5 including two parallel and linear rails that engage twoparallel and linear guides.
 7. The convertible lanyard case of claim 1wherein the front side forms a frame.
 8. The convertible lanyard case ofclaim 1 wherein the front side comprises a peripheral edge of the case,the peripheral edge configured to retain the personal electronics item;9. The convertible lanyard case of claim 3 wherein the back side and thefront side share a common peripheral edge.
 10. The convertible lanyardcase of claim 1 wherein the back side includes a camera window.
 11. Theconvertible lanyard case of claim 5 wherein the camera window isproximal to the top end;
 12. A convertible lanyard case tor a personalelectronics item, the case comprising: a top end, a bottom end, a frontside and a back side, together configured to conform to the personalelectronics item; the front side configured for viewing and accessing ascreen of the personal electronics item; the back side having a tabassembly, slidably attached to and adjacent the bottom end; the tabhaving a first position and a second position in linear series coaxialto a linear axis formed by the top end and the bottom end; and whereinthe tab assembly comprises a tab having a hole, the tab movable betweenthe first position wherein the hole is obscured by the back side and thesecond position wherein the tab extends from the case, therebyunblocking the hole.
 13. The convertible lanyard case of claim 12wherein the tab includes a stop and the frame includes a notch intowhich the stop is biased to seat.
 14. A method of using a personalelectronic device using a convertible lanyard case, comprising the stepsof: providing a personal electronic device providing a case for thepersonal electronic device; providing a sliding lab mechanism on a backside and a bottom end of the case; inserting the personal electronicdevice into the case, thereby holding it securely therein; sliding a tabof the tab mechanism toward the bottom end, such that a hole is revealedon the tab; attaching a lanyard to the case by clipping the lanyard tothe hole; and wearing the lanyard.
 15. The method of claim 14 includingthe step of lifting the personal electronic device, to a user's ear,thereby inverting the personal electronic device.
 16. The method ofclaim 14 including the step of releasing the personal electronic device,thereby allowing it to dangle from the lanyard;
 17. The method of claim14 including the step of removing the lanyard, and sliding the tabtoward the top end, thereby obscuring the hole.